St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-10-08
copyrighted, 1871

| a.
The word has long had place in the
medical dictionaries, but has only ac.
| qulred rightful citizenship in the medi-
cal vocabulary since The late DR.. Beard
accurately defined it as meaning want
Of strength in the nerve"
Dr. Beard devoted much study to this
disease and came to the conclusion that
it was characteristic result of American
habits of life and not at all, or but rarely,
found among other nations More thor
| ough research has shown, however, that
even such slow-going people as the En-
| glish and Germans are not exemDt. while
IN Russia 1t is as prevalent as in this coun
| try.
The fundamental condition Of the sys-
TEN which predisposes to neurasthenia
| IS detective nervous OrganiZation-in
other words, the nervous supply of the
BODY IS inadequate to perform the duties
demanded by the physical part of the
organism. In some cases this dispro-
portion between nervous and physical
organization is so great that the mani
festatlons Of neurasthenia occur in early
life; in infancy, childhood, or during
adolescence. In other cases the nervous
supply is able to respond to the ordinary
demands made upon it but when from
illness, or defective food supply, or ey-
cesslye labor OF any sort which may re-
suit in exhaustion, the nervous system
IS unable to fulfill its ordinary functions,
the disease appears. These are the cases
Irb ,,o1lr
the first time in advanced life, in the
broken-down business and professional
man, bankrupt of nerve-force, of which
this country has so large proportion,
and which seem to justify DR.. Boards
designation of neurasthenia as q dis
tinctively American disease
The symptoms Of neurasthenia are as
manifold as their causes are diverse.
Cases frequently occur in which there
is an indetnable sense of discomfort,
vague nerve, muscle, or bone-pains, loss
OF appetite, sleeplessness, depression of
spirits, frequent attacks of sick headache,
lack of the power of sustained intellectual
application, and similar manifestations.
In other cases the languid condition is
replaced by one of nervous irritability or
Feasibility. The latter form may alter
nate with the former in many cases. In
tense mental application may give rise
to this condition in persons with a pri-
marily weak nervous organization.
Walter Savage Lander, Carlyle, Dante
Rossetti, Richard Wagner, Victor Hugo
and many other prominent writers, pro-
fessional and public men may be cited as
examples of the irritable form of neuras-
thenia Lander and Carlyle were especi-
ally typical cases. In many instances
disorders of the digestive organs are
prominent expressions of the neurasthe-
mic condition. The phrase, nervous
dyspepsia" which is so frequently heard
nowadays, sufficiently describes one of
the characteristic forms of neurasthenia
To be nervous" is thought by many
to be equivalent to "hysterical," but
the two conditions. A nervous constitu-
ton is frequently a legacy from an over
worked ancestor. 1t may not manifest
its presence by any symptoms until the
first half-century of life is turned, when,
owing, perhaps, to some extra strain,
the nervous system gives. way and
neurasthenia results. The merchant,
official or professional man is reminded
by his nervous breakdown that he can
not do the same amount of work at fifty
that he could at thirty. He cannot keep
up the pace of younger days, and he
soon finds it impossible to get "a three
minute gait out of fourminute horse"
While it is generally accepted among
physicians that neurasthenia may be
produced by diseased conditions of va
rious organs as well as by simple con-
tinued or repeated exhaustion of the
nervous system, it is not improbable
that this neurasthenic constitution may
predispose to other diseases One of the
most distinguished of living English
alienists has described cases of mental
disease which began as neurasthenia, and
among the most scholarly and skillfu!
surgeons are many who hold to the BELIEF
that such diseases as cancer, improbable
as it may at first sight appear, are reason.
ably attributable to the influence OF
nervous depression.
The facts and differences here men
toned indicate that neurasthenia is not
a trivial affection, or one to be classed
with purely imaginary ills, like many
cases of hysteria or hypochondrla. 1T
always demands the careful attention
and study of the sufferer and his physl..
clan, in order to discover the causes OF
the disease and secure their removal.
Medical treatment alone is generally IN.
sufficient. Hygienic measures are or
much more Importance, if thoroughly
and persistently carried out Chill
dren with a neurasthenic predlspo-
sition should not be compelled TO
study too hard in schools. Most neu,
rasthenic children are precocious, ana
teachers are disposed to overburden their
bright pupils in order to make them show
up we'll in the examinations. WITH an
egotism, born of ignorance, parents usu-
ally earnestly second these efforts OF tne
teacher to wear out the childs brain De-
fore its full development. Diet, clothing
and habits of the children should be sub
iected to intelligent supervision. open
sir life should be encouraged as mucn as
possible. Spirituous liquors and tobacco
should be prohibited to youthful neu-
.asthenics. In adults they may some
lines be useful remedial measures. FIX,
,esses in tea and coffee drinking should
oe guarded against as carefully as alco-
lolic intemperance.
Emotional disturbances must oe
avoided. Highly spiced romances OF
intense" dramatic performances are pau
mental food for neurasthenic individuals.
In pronounced or developed cases the
Judgment of the physician must DECIDE
II ,osfr